- Title: Ronaldo returning to Man Utd would be fairytale - Ferdinand
- Date: 22nd June 2017
- Summary: LONDON, UK (JUNE 22, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED AND ENGLAND DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND, SPEAKING ABOUT MOURINHO, SAYING: "From what he was asked to do you'd say it was a success. But finishing sixth, when you look at it like that and you didn't have all the other stuff you'd say it was a disappointing season. So, I think this is a season where he gets a bit of respite and it's time to build and continue in the vein that he's going in and I think there definitely has been an improvement in the way the team's played and the idea of going to Old Trafford isn't boring like it was over the last couple of years. I didn't enjoy watching Manchester United in the last couple of years. This season has been better, so you'd hope that would continue and on the graph, you'd like to see it go like that (gesturing upwards) and definitely next season finishing further up the league is what we'd like to see."
- Embargoed: 6th July 2017 18:23
- Keywords: Rio Ferdinand Cristiano Ronaldo Jose Mourinho Manchester United
- Location: LONDON, MANCHESTER AND SWANSEA, UK/ ZURICH, SWITZERLAND/ MILAN, ITALY/FUNCHAL, PORTUGAL/ STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
- City: LONDON, MANCHESTER AND SWANSEA, UK/ ZURICH, SWITZERLAND/ MILAN, ITALY/FUNCHAL, PORTUGAL/ STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00A6MD2SZJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on Thursday (June 22) said the prospect of Cristiano Ronaldo returning to the Premier League side would be a 'fairytale' for fans.
The British media has reported the Portuguese striker could be on his way out of Real Madrid after being accused of defrauding the tax authorities of 14.7 million euros ($16.39 million) and Manchester United would be in the queue to sign him again.
Ronaldo played for the northern English giants from 2003 to 2009, when he left for Spain. This year he won the Champions League and domestic league titles with Real.
Ferdinand - who played for United between 2002 and 2014 said of his former team mate: "If Cristiano Ronaldo becomes available the best teams in the world will be queuing up to sign him, it's simple as that. As a Man United fan, I'd love to see him go to Man United.
"It's fairytale stuff, this is fans dreaming, fans have got to be allowed to dream. (He's) the best player on the planet at the moment."
The Spanish prosecutor says the Real Madrid forward knowingly used a business structure to hide his image rights income in Spain between 2011 and 2014. Ronaldo has denied the charges. ($1 = 0.8971 euros) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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